


When Manjoume Was There

by SymphonicFantasia



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Adopted Daichi, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Drama, Flashback Story, Gen, Good Guy Manjoume, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Sick Character, Storytelling, When Marnie Was There AU, hornetshipping - Freeform, mentions of abuse, secret meetings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-08 18:19:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14699670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SymphonicFantasia/pseuds/SymphonicFantasia
Summary: His "mother" sent him away so that he could get better. He believed she sent him away because he was annoying him. Daichi's stuck in a new town that he hadn't been in years. It's new and different, and he doesn't like it.But the marsh house draws him in like a moth to a flame.





	When Manjoume Was There

Seeing the scenery transition from the city to the country always pleased him. It didn’t matter how many times he made this trip. He could stare out the window and never get tired of what he saw. Things didn’t change much, but it didn’t stop him from coming up with different stories.

He would come up with ideas about the lives of people living in homes. Sometimes he wondered if those who lived in the barn delivered milk and eggs to their neighbor down the road. He wondered if those kids playing ball in the field dreamed of going to the city to play there. While traveling, he could come up with plenty of stories of all kinds of families. He could never get bored.

The train pulled into the station and slowed to a stop.

With a heavy sigh, he stood up from his seat. He gathered his things neatly and tossed all his garbage into a bag so that it could be thrown away later. There was no one else in the car and he was free to take his time leaving.

A guide was waiting for him at the entrance and tilted his hat towards him. “Have a wonderful day, sir.”

“Thank you. And you as well.”

He hobbled off the train and made his way into the station. It was a quiet little place that hardly seen any activity. It was lucky if it saw more than five people a week. He liked it, though. If he lived here all year long, he would be happy.

“Grandpa Daichi!”

A smile spread across his face as two children ran up to him. They wrapped their arms around his waist, burying their faces in his stomach. They were so young, but they were strong. Daichi was proud of them.

“Aki, Hana. It’s good to see you two again,” Daichi said. He patted both their heads, ruffling their dark hair. Two of his pride and joys. Looking up, there was his son with his wife, waiting with smiles on their faces. “It’s good to see you two, too.”

His son, Sosuke was the spitting image of him in his youth. It wasn’t a surprise since Daichi was the same with his father. He knew exactly what his son would look like the moment he was born. His wife never complained and said that he was a handsome man. She would be proud to have a son as handsome as him.

“We’re glad to have you, dad,” Sosuke greeted. He pulled his father into a hug, careful to not squeeze too tightly. “Kayko set up the guest bedroom just the way you liked it.”

Daichi turned his attention to his daughter-in-law. “Thank you, Kayko. I’m sorry to be such a bother about this.”

Kayko was a beautiful young lady with brown hair and eyes. Daichi always told his son that he picked the right woman. She was kind and a wonderful mother to his grandchildren. “Don’t apologize, Daichi. I’m happy to do it. It’s always fun to have you around the house. The kids love it so much.”

Akihiko, affectionately named Aki, tugged at Daichi’s hand. Like Daichi’s son and himself, he looked like them, but his hair took on the same brown color that his mother had. “Daddy keeps telling us about all the stories you have about the village. We want to hear them!”

Hana looked like her mother and her hair was pulled back into pigtails. Daichi spoiled her a little bit whenever he visited. He couldn’t stop himself from treating her like a princess. She agreed with her brother, though, nodding her head eagerly.

Daichi laughed and ruffled both of their heads. “Let’s head back to the house then and relax. I’ll take a bath and tell you any story that you’d like.”

His grandchildren cheered. They struggled to pick up his belongings, hoping to help him to the car. Sosuke and Kayko took over, taking his bags and bringing them to the car parked outside. Their car was tiny, but it was the perfect size for them all to fit in. Kayko offered the front seat to him, but Daichi declined. He enjoyed sitting in the back with his grandchildren.

They drove though the city until even its buildings faded away to the countryside. The village that Daichi’s family lived in was quiet where not much happened. Hardly anyone drove through to see what was there, which wasn’t much, but it wasn’t suffering. In fact, those that lived there enjoyed the quiet life and had no plans on changing things.

Daichi looked out the window as they got closer to the village and his breath caught in his throat.

The mansion was still there, standing like a jewel along the marsh. Vines had overgrown and covered most of the building, but Daichi remembered how it used to look. How the blue windows stood out, how the building was shaped and how it looked in the sun. It amazed him to know that it was still there. By now, Daichi expected to see it demolished or bought by someone else. Perhaps there was someone who wouldn’t hand the lease over.

“It’s still there…” Daichi muttered.

Sosuke looked out the window. His shoulders rose and fell with a sigh. “Yeah, it is. They don’t know what to do with it, so they just left it.”

“Any buyers?”

“Some, but no one ever commits to doing anything with it,” Sosuke answered. He looked over his shoulder at him. “You should see if they’ll let you go through it. It’s still in good condition on the inside, so they say.”

Daichi chuckled. “Maybe. I’ll have to think about it.”

Hana leaned out of her car seat to pat Daichi’s leg. When Daichi turned his attention to her, she smiled. “What’s so special about that house over there?”

“A lot of my friends at school say it’s haunted! They’re all afraid to walk past it,” Aki said, adding his own two cents. He beamed up at Daichi. “When we’re older, we’re going to break in and see what the big fuss is about! Maybe we’ll see a ghost.”

“The only thing haunting that mansion are memories and nothing more.” Daichi smiled warmly at his grandson. “When we get home, why don’t I tell you a story about that mansion? It might make it less scary.”

“Is it a fun story?” Aki asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“It is.”

“Does it involve princes and princesses?” Hana asked. At her age, that’s what most girls were in to.

“It doesn’t involve a princess,” Daichi said, “but it does have a prince that’s locked away.”

Aki’s face twisted into disgust. “This sounds more like a love story then, Grandpa.”

“It’s a magical one, though, Akihiko,” Sosuke said. He looked at his son through the rearview mirror. “You’ll enjoy it. I did when your grandfather told me.”

That silenced the children instantly. They bounced in their car seats on either side of Daichi, eagerly waiting for him to tell the story.

Daichi hadn’t told the story in so long, but he remembered the details. He wasn’t at the age where he would forget things, and this wasn’t a story he would forget. It played such a big part in his life. Forgetting it would be like forgetting a piece of himself.

That summer had played a core part of his teenage years.

 

 

 

 

After traveling so long, it was nice to clean up.

Daichi rubbed his hair dry as he shuffled out of the bathroom. The house was warm and smelled of delicious food. Summer was truly here, and he could see it wherever he went, even within the house. In the living room his grandchildren were watching TV. Cartoons played across the screen and they laughed at what was happening.

He sat down on the couch and waited patiently for them to realize he was there. If they wanted to watch TV instead of listening to his story, then he was fine with it. Daichi would be here all summer and there was plenty of time to tell them.

Akihiko noticed him during a commercial. He nudged at Hana and sat up to shut the TV off. Together, they climbed onto the couch on either side of him and leaned in close.

“Are you going to tell us about the marsh mansion, Grandpa Daichi?” Akihiko asked.

Daichi chuckled. He wrapped his arms around them and pulled them in close. “Are you sure you want to hear an old man’s tale about that old place?”

“You said it was like a love story, Grandpa. With princes and magic!” Hana answered. She reached up and tugged at the front of his shirt. “We want to hear it!”

He smiled and looked between them. He expected to tell this story when they were older, but their curiosity astounded him. While he couldn’t be sure that they would remember this further down the line, Daichi wouldn’t mind telling it again. He would tell it as many times as they would like, so long as there was still breath in his body.

“It started… when I was fifteen years old…”

* * *

Train rides made him sick. Daichi felt like he was ready to vomit whenever the train jolted to a stop. It wasn’t an easy ride, and nothing would make it any easier.  He had a bag just in case he _did_ feel the bile bubbling up and out of his throat. He hoped he wouldn’t need it, but anything could happen. His fingers were crossed.

When the train finally slid into the station, Daichi groaned and wrapped his arms around his stomach. The trip was finally over, and he couldn’t be more grateful for it.

Gathering his things, Daichi made his way slowly off the train. He mumbled a goodbye at the worker and stepped off. The train left. He was still standing on the platform, staring up at the ceiling.

Daichi was too afraid to move. His stomach was still feeling a bit off. The last thing he wanted was to hurl his lunch on the station’s platform.

When things calmed down, Daichi lowered his head and started walking into the station.

It was empty. There was no one there to greet him or take him to the village.

Daichi sighed and dropped his bags to the ground. He should have expected as much. They could have forgotten about him or maybe they were running late. Any of those possibilities were easy to believe. Waiting was his only option, though.

Dragging his bags with him, Daichi sat on one of the benches. He curled in on himself and ran his hands down his face. Tired didn’t begin to describe what he was feeling. The train ride took longer than it should have, and he didn’t have a pleasurable ride. There was something about train rides that always bothered him. Perhaps it was because of all the times he rode the train to and from meetings about where he was going to end up—what family was going to take him.

Just thinking about it was enough to twist Daichi’s stomach into something worse.

_Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it._

“Daichi!”

He lifted his head. His eyes felt heavy and something was lodged in his throat. Before he stood up, Daichi rubbed at his eyes and gathered enough saliva in his throat to swallow. It did little to ease the tension in his throat.

Standing up, Daichi gathered his bags in his hands and turned to the entrance of the train station. A thin looking woman and a plump man stood in front of the automatic doors. Though one would think the woman would be cruel at first look, Daichi could feel the warm energy coming off her. It was almost suffocating to feel how kind she was. Daichi couldn’t stand it, especially when he knew why they were here.

“We’re so sorry that we’re late,” the woman said, bowing her head. “Traffic was so terrible coming into the city. It should be easier heading home, but that still doesn’t excuse us for being so late.”

Daichi did his best to smile at them. He knew it fake, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “It’s fine. I understand that things out here are a little bit different than the city…”

Who were they again? It had been so long since Daichi had seen them. He had to be a little kid—barely three-years-old when he first met them. His memories shifted around the fog, parting the way until he finally found their names.

Fujiko and Daisuke. It had been so long since he had seen them, but they were part of his life as much he was a part of theirs. He couldn’t begin to explain the embarrassment he felt when he realized his “mother” was sending them pictures of him. Daichi didn’t want to know how many they had of him from over the years.

“The journey back to our small little village shouldn’t be so bad,” Daisuke assured. “We should have no trouble getting back.”

That was good. Daichi didn’t want to deal with a long car trip with them. Especially after dealing with a long train ride.

Before Daichi could protest, Fujiko and Daisuke grabbed his bags. He tried to tell them that he could carry them himself, but they insisted on doing it. It was the least they could do after arriving so late. Daichi couldn’t care less if they didn’t arrive at all. He was used to being abandoned by people, as sad as it sounded.

Their car was tiny, but it was comfortable when Daichi got in it. He tried to sit in the back, but Fujiko insisted that he sit in the front. She was just being polite, and Daichi knew this but he wished that she didn’t twist his arm to get it to happen.

Daisuke was kind and talked often as they drove through the city. True to their word, there was some incoming traffic on the other side of the highway. Their route home was peaceful and quick, though. It didn’t take them long to enter the small town that the couple called home.

The town was tiny and quaint. It sat upon a marsh and there was sand surrounding some areas, as well. At first glance, Daichi liked it. The air felt clean and he could feel his lungs opening from it alone. However, he didn’t have any high hopes of enjoying his time here.

And then he spotted the house.

Daichi’s focus zeroed in on it as they drove. It looked beautiful. There was a blue window that seemed out of place on this side of the house, but it gave it a little bit of charm. He could also see a beautiful garden, but it was all gone within a matter of seconds.

“What was that place?” Daichi muttered louder than he intended to.

“It’s just the town’s local marsh house,” Fujiko asked from the back. “A lot of rich people live there. They don’t come out and see us locals, though.”

“They’ve always given me a bad vibe,” Daisuke said. When Daichi looked at him, he could see that he wasn’t pleased. “I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think you should go near that house, Daichi.”

“Why not?” Daichi couldn’t understand why he should stay away from there. It didn’t seem like a bad place.

Daisuke tightened his grip on the steering wheel. It seemed to Daichi that he was trying to keep his composure. He wasn’t trying to be too controlling since Daichi was here for vacation. “It’s just… not a good idea. That’s all. It’d be hard to explain to your mother if something bad were to happen to you.”

Daisuke laughed, trying to play it off as a joke. “She’ll never let you visit us again!”

Fujiko reached forward and smacked Daisuke’s arm. “Don’t joke about that! You know how Atsuko worries about Daichi.”

At this, Daichi found his mood deflating like a balloon animal. He had felt excited for when it came to the marsh house, but it had been ruined from the mere mention of his “mother.”

His adoptive mother.

The woman who didn’t give birth to him.

The woman who had him only because he managed to get her money for it.

Daichi felt sick to his stomach for thinking about it. He refrained from wrapping his arms around his stomach. The last thing he needed was for Fujiko and Daisuke to worry about him.

* * *

The room they gave him was big, but it was filled with quaint things. It belonged to Fujiko’s daughter, but the room didn’t have the girly vibe that Daichi had expected. It was quite minimalistic and simple. He preferred it that way. It made it seem more like a guest room instead of someone else’s room.

There was a little patio just outside some sliding doors. When Daichi peeked his head outside, he saw a tiny table and chair there. He wondered if this was where their daughter came outside to escape her family. It seemed like the type of place. Daichi hoped that he could do it, as well, when things became too much.

From the patio, he could see the marsh house across the way. It seemed that they were closer, and it looked beautiful from where he was standing.

Daichi stepped onto the patio and leaned against the railing. He stared at the marsh house for a while. His mind jotted around possible scenarios to what the people were like that lived there. It was something to pass the time before he gathered the courage to look around the small town. Daichi didn’t expect to find anything interesting, but he knew he couldn’t stay indoors during his entire vacation.

He might lose his mind if he did that.

At least twenty minutes passed before Daichi finally pushed away and went back into the house. He grabbed his media player, making his way quietly through the halls. It wasn’t that Daichi was banned from leaving the house. He just didn’t want to disturb the people who had decided to open their home to him—especially when they didn’t have to.

Daichi found Fujiko and Daisuke in another part of the house. Fujiko was working on building something with her hands while Daisuke stood at the stove. Whatever he was cooking, it made Daichi’s mouth water. He wasn’t hungry yet, but whatever they had planned for dinner was going to be good.

“Um, I’m going to walk around the village for a while,” Daichi said, gathering their attention. “Is that alright?”

Fujiko was the one who smiled at him, putting her work down a lot quicker than Daisuke. “I don’t see why not. Do you want our house’s number in case you get lost?”

As much as he wasn’t thrilled about the idea, Daichi knew that it would be a good idea. If he got lost out there, he would need directions to get back. Choosing between talking to strangers or talking to his apparent aunt and uncle was an easy decision.

Numbers were exchanged and Daichi was out of the house.

The clean air of the country filled his lungs. He could imagine them opening like a inflated balloon, pushing out his ribs. Maybe being out here was a good thing. Daichi was away from his school, his overbearing “mother”, and so many other troubling factors. Maybe he should stay here forever. He was sure that his mother or school wouldn’t mind.

Daichi wandered all around the town. It seemed simple enough. There were stores and homes evenly spaced out. Sometimes, a dog would bark at him, desperate to get his attention. It would be wrong of him not to pet them. He did it only for a few minutes before going on his way.

As the sun was starting to set, Daichi found himself at the marsh’s beach. Sunsets in the city were different—they always seemed artificial and fake somehow. Here in the country, he thought they were beautiful. It didn’t matter if he had seen it plenty of times before. Right here, right now, it was completely different and Daichi wouldn’t trade it in for anything else.

His eyes wandered to the marsh house across the way.

It looked even better in the fading light. Daichi was more captivated by it the more he stared. Somehow, he felt his feet dragging him through the marsh and towards it. Some puddles were deep, soaking through his sneakers and wetting his socks. He didn’t mind, though. Daichi had a one-track mind and it only focused on the marsh house.

He climbed up the stairs of the dock. There was a gate blocking his path, shut tightly with a heavy chain and lock.

Daichi questioned himself. What did he really expect to get from coming here? A mystery that he couldn’t get in the city? That was foolish thinking.

He sighed and turned his attention to the only blue window he saw. The curtains were drawn, but they didn’t look very heavy. In fact, they looked sheer and thin, lacy even. Daichi narrowed his eyes at them. He could have sworn that he saw something flicker behind them.

Daichi took one look back at the sun and then back to the window. Whatever movement he saw was long gone now.

He played it off as his imagination. It saddened him a little.

Daichi realized that the hide tide was starting to come in. His dry path back to the mainland was quickly disappearing. If he wanted to get back home mostly dried, then he would need to go now.

He jumped down the stairs of the dock and started to run through the slowly rising water. His lungs burned and begged him to stop. He only did when he was closer to the beach than the marsh house. Sand clung to the soles of his sneakers just as he made it. The water was rising rapidly now, completely covering the path that he had taken to return.

Daichi looked back at the marsh house, finding lights coming to life inside it. From the blue window, he could have sworn he saw it again.

Just the slightest hint of movement.

* * *

“How was your trip around town?” Fujiko asked. It seemed like she never lost her smile.

Daichi placed a tray of food down on the table. Daisuke worked hard on making a good dinner for them all. The least he could do was help him serve it. “It was fine. It seems a little bigger than one would expect.”

Fujiko laughed. “Yeah, that’s what everyone says. We don’t seem like we have a lot, but we have enough to survive. Did you meet anyone your own age while you were out there?”

Actually, the moment he saw someone, he ran the other way. Why would he want to speak to anyone he didn’t know? After all, Daichi wasn’t going to be here all year. What was the point of making friends if he was going to leave when the summer ended?

“Uh, a few, but they didn’t have the time to talk,” Daichi answered. It wasn’t a complete lie.

Fujiko frowned but it lasted only a moment before she was smiling again. “Well, they are still in school. Give them some time on the weekend and I’m sure they’ll be able to talk to you.”

_I’d rather they didn’t._

Daichi didn’t say anything else about it. He sat down at the table, ready to eat what Daisuke had prepared.

During dinner, Fujiko and Daisuke talked about various things happening in the town. Events that Daichi should consider going to, pieces of furniture that Fujiko had to make for the townspeople, and other things that Daichi couldn’t care about. While they spoke, his mind drifted to the marsh house. He knew he saw movement there. It hadn’t been a trick of the light the first time and it wasn’t the second time, either.

He tried to play it off as his imagination, but the second time only confirmed his suspicions. Maybe whoever lived in that room was watching him that afternoon. He couldn’t understand why. Daichi didn’t see himself as anyone too interesting. He was as plain as the nose on his face.

So, why did the person who lived there find any interest in him? It made no logical sense.

Daichi humored the idea about returning tonight to see if he would see them again, but he wouldn’t be able to. The marsh must be fully risen by now. His only way there would be cut off. Daichi didn’t want to think about how long it would take for him to find another path to the house.

He set his fork down. His food had hardly been touched, but he wasn’t hungry. Daichi was only tired from the day he had, between traveling and exploring the town. He excused himself politely and brought his dishes to the sink. His feet felt heavy as he made his way up the stairs. They creaked beneath him, a sound that seemed louder than it was.

In his room, Daichi felt his body relax. All the day’s stress melted away, flowing down through the soles of his feet and sinking into the floorboards. He hoped it wouldn’t come back to him, but he knew it would. Wearing his stress was just as natural as putting on sneakers for the day. It was something that he couldn’t stop.

Daichi got ready for bed, prepared to fall onto his bed and sleep. He would love nothing more than to finally fall into bliss.

Something pulled his attention to the patio, though.

The patio door slid open with ease and he stepped out into the cool summer air. Daichi gripped the railing and looked out across the marsh. There was a light on in the blue window again. The curtains weren’t drawn, but Daichi could see a shadow in the window.

Then the light flickered twice, surprising Daichi.

Whoever was there knew that Daichi was watching them. It shook Daichi to his core.

He wondered if he would see them again.

* * *

“I’m going out again.”

“Oh, Daichi, hold on a moment,” Daisuke said before he could leave. “Do you mind helping me deliver something? There’s plenty of stuff, but I can’t bring it on my own. Fujiko has the car for today, too.”

Daichi bit back a groan. He wanted to be out of the house already, down by the marsh to enjoy what time he had left. He couldn’t deny helping Daisuke, though. His wife and him had done so much for him already.

“Sure,” Daichi muttered.

No time was wasted for items to fall into his arms. They weren’t heavy, but he wasn’t used to having such weight in his arms. Daisuke happily lead the way into town, carrying his own pile of things. Daichi did nothing but allow him to speak his mind. He tuned out after a few minutes of it. Whatever Daisuke had to say, it was important to him.

It wasn’t important to Daichi, though.

They reached one of the biggest houses in town. Daichi remembered passing by it once on his walk yesterday. As much as the architecture captivated him, he didn’t linger more than a few minutes. Someone was coming out of the house at the time and Daichi made sure to bolt it before he could really be seen.

“Mrs. Misato?” Daisuke called out as he rung the doorbell. “We’re here with a delivery!” He slid the door open with his foot without waiting for a reply. To Daichi, it would have been seen as rude, but things were different out here.

A woman was waiting in the foyer, glasses perched on the top of her head. She seemed a little stern with her arms crossed. Daisuke didn’t seem to be bothered by this, but Daichi was. She didn’t seem friendly in the slightest and he didn’t want to deal with her even if she was. What he wanted nothing more was to get away and head down to the marsh.

“Was Fujiko too busy to deliver it herself?” the woman asked, her nose partially turned up to the air. It seemed snobbish to Daichi.

Daisuke still didn’t seem bothered by this. “Yes, and she sends her apologies. However, you can be rest assured that they are still the highest quality of items! You have her guarantee.”

Mrs. Misato’s stern demeanor seemed to diminish within seconds, melting away like ice in the hot sun. “I have no doubts that it is.” Her gaze turned to Daichi and he felt his blood run cold. He couldn’t understand why. “I’ve seen you walking around yesterday. And who’s this, Daisuke?”

“Ah, this is Daichi, my nephew,” Daisuke explained. “He’ll be visiting us until the summer ends. I hope he and Takashi will get along.”

Takashi? Daichi didn’t want to meet any of the kids that lived in the village. He still didn’t see the point of making friends while he was here. Making one would lead to another, and then another, and then another until he had a chain of them. They would end up just like his friends back home. To be more correct, he would end up just like he was back in the city.

Alone.

“Takashi is currently at cram school, but he should be home later today.” Mrs. Misato smiled at Daichi. “If you’d like, you’re more than welcomed to stop by for a bit. Takashi enjoys taking a walk afterwards to clear his head from stress. I don’t see why he wouldn’t mind you tagging along with him. He’s always looking for his friends to spend time with them.”

It wouldn’t happen with Daichi. He’d run as far away from Takashi as he possibly could. He didn’t want friends.

As he was ordered, Daichi placed the packages down on the floor. The moment he was dismissed, he left the house quickly. On the sidewalk, Daichi bolted. He knew running would be too much for his lungs, but he needed to get away. He didn’t want to be near the houses any longer than he needed to. If someone saw him, they would stop him to talk. That could never happen.

Daichi hunched over as he reached the marsh. Bracing his hands on his knees, he took deep gulping breaths until his heart rate evened out. Even then, it felt like his heart would burst out of his chest. He sat down and pressed his back against the sand.

This was better for him. He soaked up the heat from the sun and the sand beneath him. It was relaxing to be like this. He wondered why he hadn’t thought about it before.

Then he felt eyes on him again.

Daichi abruptly sat up, sending particles of sand everywhere. His eyes moved to the marsh house, particularly at the blue window there. The curtains weren’t drawn, but he still couldn’t see anyone in it. It was still too dark. If he got closer…

Without putting much thought into it, Daichi stood up and started towards the house. The marsh water was mostly gone, giving him plenty of dry space to walk. He hoped that he would be able to make it back before the water started to rise. Wet socks were hard to explain to Fujiko and Daisuke.

The lock was gone. It was the first thing that Daichi realized when he climbed up the steps to the house. Yesterday, the heavy chain kept the gates from ever being opened. Now, they easily did so with just a simple push. The gate creaked as he moved it and Daichi cringed. He hoped that it didn’t alert anyone of his presence.

There were more steps that led up and Daichi did so carefully. Daisuke said there was a reason he didn’t trust them, even if he didn’t care to indulge in why. Even if he didn’t believe him, Daichi knew it was better to be cautious. The last thing he needed was to explain an injury to Fujiko that he suffered from. Then his “mother” would find out and she would be on the first train to town.

Daichi looked around, trying to see if there was anyone in the yard. He moved his gaze up to the blue window. There still wasn’t someone there, but he still felt like he was being watched. He just couldn’t tell from where.

“Psst. This way.”

He jumped from the whisper. Even if it was quiet, it was still a shock. He hadn’t expected anyone.

There was another teenager on the side of the house, motioning for Daichi to come closer. This felt too much like Alice in Wonderful. Daichi was Alice and this boy was the White Rabbit. Only disaster would happen if he dared to follow him.

Yet that’s exactly what he did.

Daichi quickly hurried after the other boy. When he turned the corner, he was already climbing over the stone fence. What was going on? Knowing that he was foolish, Daichi still followed after him. He didn’t know where this boy was leading him, and he wasn’t sure if it was safe or not. Something inside told him to keep going, to follow until he finally stopped.

They had to be at least half a mile away from the marsh house before the boy finally stopped. By then, Daichi was thoroughly exhausted. He was hunched over, pressing his shoulder against a tree.

“I swear I read this in a book once…” Daichi muttered to himself.

“Maybe, but a little adventure isn’t so bad, right?”

Daichi slowly lifted his head to stare at his sudden companion. He hadn’t realized he said it loud enough to be heard. The boy was more of a teenager around Daichi’s own age. He was smiling at him, his hands behind his back. What had Daichi gotten himself into?

“I guess you could say that,” Daichi answered. He rose to a standing position, his chest still felt tight. “Do you live in the marsh house?”

The boy nodded. “I do. We don’t get many visitors up there.”

Daichi decided not to tell him why. After all, Daisuke’s feeling was only that—a feeling and nothing more. He never gave Daichi a reason to why he should stay away from it. While curiosity burned in his stomach to find out why, he did is best to push the feeling away. It wasn’t as important as the boy standing before him.

“It must be boring up there.”

“A little bit.”

“Is that why you kept watching me since I came here?” Daichi asked.

He smiled. “I’ve seen everyone in this town at least once. You, on the other hand, I’ve never seen before. I was curious about you.”

_That makes two of us._

“Well, then I guess it’s time for some introductions.” Daichi stepped forward and held his hand out to him. “I’m Daichi, and I’m only here for the rest of summer vacation.”

“Well, it’s a calm place to do that.” He reached out and gripped Daichi’s hand. “I’m Manjoume Jun. Surprisingly enough, I’m only here for summer vacation, too.”

Daichi tilted his head to the side as they dropped their hands. “Huh… With a place as big as the marsh house, I would have expected you to have money to go anywhere you wanted.”

Manjoume shrugged his shoulders. “I do, but my parents and brothers enjoy being here more than going to the Bahamas or America or anywhere else that could be more interesting.”

He cringed. Daichi knew this place didn’t have much to offer. How he planned on surviving he entire vacation was beyond him. “Not much happens here, does it?”

“Not at all,” Manjoume answered.

“What am I going to do this whole time…?” Daichi muttered to himself.

Manjoume fidgeted where he stood. “You could… always come here and hang out with me?”

When Daichi looked back at Manjoume, he could see the hopeful look in his eyes. He must have been so lonely here in the marsh house. From what he could assume from Daisuke, it didn’t seem like the marsh house received any visitors from the town. They must all be avoiding it for reasons that he couldn’t understand. Why would they want to avoid something that looked this beautiful?

He put that question to the back of his mind. Daichi would ask Manjoume if they got closer to one another.

“Sure,” Daichi answered. “It’s not like I have anything better to do.” And it did seem that Manjoume was just as lonely as he was.

Manjoume’s smile was bright, glowing like the sun. “I’m glad that we might be spending more time together.” He looked over his shoulder at the surrounding woods. “Do you… want to go for a walk?”

Daichi chewed on his lower lip. He wondered if he should be heading back any time soon. He checked the time on his phone: 2:15 PM. There was still a little more time before he had to head back for dinner. Besides, if Manjoume lured him into the woods to die, at least he wouldn’t have to go back to his “mother” when summer was over.

“Sure. Let’s go.”

Manjoume led the way further into the woods. He stepped over roots and ducked under branches. Daichi did his best to follow him. Every now and then, a branch or a leaf would hit him in the face. Back in the city, he was never physically active. His lungs wouldn’t allow him and there weren’t many places he could hike in.

There was even a moment when a snake startled him, but Manjoume didn’t seem bothered by it. In fact, he lifted it without fear and brought it over elsewhere. He told Daichi was that so no one else would injure it or be scared.

Daichi didn’t know where they were going. Manjoume knew where they were going, and he didn’t seem like he wanted to indulge in the whereabouts. He was a total mystery and Daichi knew what he was getting into the moment he agreed to spend time with him. Maybe he should have thought about it better when the offer was first given to him.

“We’re here,” Manjoume finally said.

He almost collapsed where he stood. Instead, Daichi sat down on a large rock and fell back on it. His lungs felt a little tight, but they weren’t cutting off his oxygen. He wondered if it would happen soon and tried not to think about it. The last thing Daichi needed was to have his body react to his mind.

“Isn’t it beautiful up here?”

Daichi groaned as he stood up. His breath was nearly caught but it was stolen away again.

Manjoume had truly taken him to a beautiful place. It overlooked the town, showing how beautiful it could really look. There were rows of wheat far in the distance, sprinkled with other crops and animals that wandered around. The marsh shone in the sun, making it look more beautiful than it was. From where he stood, Daichi could see a few boats along the water, most likely fishing to sell or catch dinner.

“Do you like it?” Manjoume asked.

Daichi numbly nodded his head. “Yeah…”

“This town isn’t so bad to live in,” Manjoume continued. “It’s nice here.”

“It really is. I wonder why it was so hard for me to see it like this before,” Daichi muttered.

“That’s probably because you explored it. You never saw it up here like this.”

He had a point. Daichi explored every inch of the town and never appreciated it. Up here, though, he could see how it looked and appreciate everything about it. While he may not care for the people who lived there, it didn’t mean that Daichi didn’t care about the town.

“I always wondered what it was like down there…”

Daichi looked at Manjoume. His back was towards him, his form stiff as he stood up tall. “You’ve never been down there before?”

Manjoume looked at him. “Not once. I only get to see it when we drive through at the start and end of summer. That’s pretty much it.”

Even though it seemed that Manjoume could have anything he wanted, freedom was not one of them. Daichi was more than welcomed to move back and forth throughout the town. His aunt and uncle said nothing about him leaving and never gave him a curfew.

Manjoume on the other hand was trapped within the marsh house. It must be lonelier than Daichi ever was in the city.

“You know, you can go and explore the town,” Daichi pointed out.

He shook his head. “My brothers and the maids won’t allow it. They have me on a tighter leash than my parents do back in the city. Every time I try, they find out and I’m back where I was. Sometimes, they lock me in my room to make sure that I don’t try it again.”

The more he talked, the more Daichi realized he was a prisoner in the beautiful marsh house. Who was he to complain about how his life was back in the city?

“Enough about that, though,” Manjoume said. “I actually wanted to get to know you a little better.”

Daichi laughed. “I’m not that special…”

Manjoume moved to sit before him, tucking his legs beneath him. “Maybe not, but you’re the only one who’s ever gotten so close to the marsh house. Everyone else? They stay far away from it, as if it’s haunted or something.”

“Is it haunted?”

“Not that I’ve seen,” Manjoume answered. “Although, I like to think there are soot sprites or something in the attic.”

“Soot sprites?” Daichi asked, laughing.

“It’s a long story. So, tell me about yourself.”

Daichi didn’t know where to begin. There was so much about his life that he could tell Manjoume, but it wasn’t interesting. There was nothing interesting about a boy who was adopted into a family. He could hardly remember his time in the orphanage and even that wasn’t so great.

“I’m from Yokohama and I’m only here for the summer,” Daichi said. The words felt heavy and awkward in his mouth, like cotton. “My… ‘mother’ only sent me here because of my asthma. She wanted to see if the clean air would help with my lungs. Honestly, I think she just wanted to send me away for a while.”

“Why would she do that?”

Daichi chewed on the inside of his cheek. Telling Manjoume would be so easy, but he couldn’t. It felt like the words were lodged in his throat. No matter how hard he tried, they couldn’t come out. “How about I ask you a question and then you can ask me one? You shouldn’t be the only one asking questions.”

Manjoume laughed. “Alright. That’s fair. Ask away.”

“Where are you from?”

“Tokyo. We come down here every year just to get away from the city. … Actually, my parents are still in the city. It’s just me, my brothers, and a few of the staff here.” Manjoume adjusted his spot on the ground. “Now, why would your mom send you away?”

Daichi knew he couldn’t avoid this question. “I have asthma, so she thought the country air would be better for me. … I think I’m just annoying, so she decided to get rid of me for a bit.”

“That’s so cruel.”

“She’s not my real mom, so it’s not a big deal.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Manjoume asked.

“You’re not getting the answer that easily,” Daichi replied. “What are your parents like?”

Manjoume shrugged his shoulders. “They’re nice. My father’s handsome and my mother’s beautiful, but they’re always busy. My mother throws all sorts of parties at the marsh house and the manor back home. As for my dad, he works a lot, so I only get to see him once a week. … Then again, I don’t get to see either of them very much.”

Yeah, Manjoume surely won in the loneliness scale.

“Now, about your mother?”

“I’m adopted,” Daichi easily answered. “She adopted me when I was around five or six and I’ve been with her ever since. She’s nice, but sometimes I feel like I get on her nerves too much. I make her worry too much and she gets upset when I don’t share anything with her. It’s hard to do that sometimes.”

 

The silence around them was a little too much. It felt suffocating to Daichi, as if someone gripped his lungs and were squeezing them tightly. His inhaler wouldn’t be able to help it, either.

“This conversation is getting a little too sad for my liking. Let’s change the subject to something else.”

Daichi was grateful for the change of topic.

Instead of discussing their lives in the city, they talked about their interests. Daichi told Manjoume that he liked to mess with computers and graphic designs. In return, he learned that Manjoume was skilled at various instruments. He would have liked it if he could hear Manjoume play sometime, but he knew it wouldn’t happen.

It was clear that no one was allowed in the marsh house—an unspoken rule between the people who lived there and the people of the town.

The sun was setting over the marsh, signaling the end of the day.

Daichi loathed to leave Manjoume. If he didn’t, then Fujiko and Daisuke would worry about him. Manjoume understood, though, and he agreed. He needed to get back to the manor before his brothers and the maids noticed he was gone. Whatever punishment they had planned for him, Manjoume didn’t want to find out what it was.

Daichi was in the same boat with that one.

Manjoume led him back to the marsh house and to the little stone dock that was there. High tide had come and Daichi groaned. He couldn’t swim back to shore. Fujiko would question him the moment he got home, and he didn’t know how to explain his soaked state.

“I have a boat you can use,” Manjoume pointed out.

Daichi looked around, finding a boat attached to the wooden pole. He hadn’t noticed it when he first arrived today or even yesterday. “I… I don’t know how to row.”

Manjoume chuckled. He was already at the post, undoing the rope anchoring the boat. “It’s fine. I know how, and I can teach you if you’d like.” He stepped into the boat and held a hand out to Daichi. “Come on. We should hurry and get you home.”

When Daichi took his hand, it felt unbelievably cold. It was strange to feel considering the heat of the day. Manjoume helped him into the boat and Daichi immediately sat down. The boat rocked beneath him, but Manjoume didn’t seem bothered by it. He still wore a smile, trying to calm Daichi down.

The rowing of the boat was calming as Manjoume started. Bit by bit, Daichi found himself relaxing as they rowed. The sun still hadn’t fully set so it gave the marsh a beautiful glow. Daichi looked over the edge, seeing the fish swim beside the boat.

It was peaceful here. This was an experience that Daichi would never be able to get back in the city.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” Manjoume asked.

Daichi looked at him and took in the hopeful expression he wore. He didn’t see a reason as to why he couldn’t see Manjoume. Nothing was keeping him from coming by the house to see him. He would still need to be careful, just to avoid Manjoume’s brothers and staff. That shouldn’t be too hard, right?

“Sure. If you’re alright with me coming back again.” Then Daichi remembered something. “And if the lock on the gate isn’t there.”

Manjoume laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. I tossed the lock and chain into the marsh. They won’t be able to lock it until they go into town to get a new one. Who knows when that will be.”

 

Daichi smiled. “Then I’ll happily come back.”

“Thank you. I can’t wait to see you gain.”

* * *

“You’ve been gone for a long time, Daichi.”

He smiled at Fujiko. “I’m sorry. I got distracted and I lost track of time.”

“It doesn’t matter. So long as you were safe,” Fujiko assured. “We don’t want you getting hurt on your vacation after all.”

Daisuke placed plates of food on the table. “By the way, Mrs. Misato said that Takashi would be by tomorrow afternoon. He was so excited to meet you that he didn’t want to waste any time in doing so.”

Daichi tried not to groan at the idea. He had no plans on meeting Takashi and had planned on staying as far as he could from him. If Takashi was going to visit the house, then he couldn’t escape. Unless he disappeared before he arrived. Was it impossible? Probably, but Daichi was determined to try.

“That sounds… like so much fun,” Daichi lied through his teeth. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

Daisuke beamed proudly at him. “I’m glad to hear that. You two will have fun together. Takashi’s into skateboarding and he knows all the best places to do it. Maybe he can teach you.”

“Yeah… Yeah, maybe…”

He was uncomfortable with this line of conversation. After all, Daichi just wanted to be left alone just like he was in the city. That was impossible with Daisuke always around him. Since Fujiko worked, she wasn’t hanging around like a fly on the wall. Daisuke was just concerned for his wellbeing and Daichi knew that.

He still wished he would back off, though.

“How was your day today?” Fujiko asked. Daichi was thankful that she picked up on what he was feeling and decided to change the topic. He appreciated it.

Daichi smiled. “Actually, I met someone today. … I think I made a friend.”

Fujiko beamed. “That’s wonderful! Do we know who they are?”

He decided not to indulge on who it was. After all, Daisuke had warned him to stay away from the marsh house. If he told them who Manjoume was, they might tell him to stay away from him. It was better to keep quiet about it—for now.

“I’m not sure, but maybe you can meet him one day,” Daichi answered.

“That would be nice,” Daisuke said. “You’re more than welcomed to invite him to dinner. The more the merrier! Especially if you’ve made a friend. That’s what we want you to do while you’re here.”

“That’s right.”

Daichi was glad that their hearts were in the right place. He hoped that they wouldn’t mind that it was Manjoume and where he came from. He had to hold hope that his aunt and uncle were a lot different than his “mother.”

 

 

 

 

“I knew I recognized you! I saw you the other day walking all on your own. I had wanted to say ‘hi’, but you were already gone before I had a chance.”

Daichi awkwardly laughed. “Ah, sorry about that. I was busy exploring the town.” 

Takashi was certainly not what Daichi had expected. Mrs. Misato was strict and stern, but her son? He was the complete opposite of her. Takashi was rambunctious the moment adult supervision was off him. It seemed that he had his own persona to please the adults, but a different one when he was with his friends.

Daichi thought that it had to be exhausting. He couldn’t imagine doing that.

“Well, I’m glad that we’re spending time with each other now,” Takashi said. He ran his fingers through his hair. In his left hand was a skateboard decorated with different alien stickers. He had given Daichi one, too, before they left Fujiko and Daisuke’s house. He didn’t understand why he was given it. Daichi didn’t know how to use a skateboard.

“Um, you know that I don’t know how to use this, right?” Daichi asked.

“Hey, I can teach you it,” Takashi assured. “It’ll be fun! You’ll like it.

_I doubt it._

Takashi led Daichi to an abandoned house that looked like it hadn’t been touched in years. He never would have expected to see such a place in the small town. They walked through the door that was hanging on its hinges and made their way to the back. There was an empty pool there where four other teenagers were already skateboarding and playing in it. Daichi’s jaw dropped as he watched them, performing tricks that he could never imagine doing himself.

There was no way he’d be able to do them.

“Hey, guys! Meet Daichi. He’s staying with the Kirijo family for a while,” Takashi announced.

Daichi wished he hadn’t done that.

As soon as the words left Takashi’s mouth, all their eyes were on Daichi. They climbed out of the pool and wandered closer. Questions dropped from their lips like starving vultures to a barely dead body.

He felt overwhelmed with them all. His lungs tightened and Daichi could feel his heartbeat increase. It felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He didn’t know where to begin with all their questions.

“Guys, guys!” Takashi shouted over their noise. “Give him a break. He’s here for vacation, not an interview. Besides, he’s never skateboarded before. We need to show him the ropes, so he can show off to his friends back in Tokyo.”

Daichi was grateful that Takashi managed to get them all to back away from him. However, their attention was still on him as they all tried to teach him.

Each one had a different technique and it was a whirlwind of information that Daichi didn’t know what to do with. When one way failed, someone suggested a different option. It went on and on until the sun was ready to drop from the sky. By then, Daichi only managed to remain on his board for a minute or so. He never dipped into the pool, knowing too well that he would fail and humiliate himself even more.

None of the teenagers seemed bothered that Daichi had failed, Takashi especially. They never made fun of him or laughed in his face about his inability to skateboard. He wondered if that would change when he left.

“Hey,” Takashi said, patting his back. “Don’t worry about it. You can try again the next time we hang out. It takes practice. None of us expected you to master it in one afternoon.”

Daichi gave him a kind smile, but he didn’t say anything else. His throat was parched, and he knew his voice would crack if he tried.

“Do you wanna do anything else? Maybe get something to eat at the corner store?” Takashi asked.

The last thing he wanted to do was spend more time with Takashi and his friends. Daichi could tell that he was a good person, but he would rather be elsewhere. Besides, Manjoume could be waiting for him.

“Maybe next time. There’s something else I have to do,” Daichi answered.

Takashi looked saddened by this, but he didn’t try to convince Daichi otherwise. “I understand. Don’t hesitate to come by and hang out with us. You’re more than welcomed to do so.”

He would never take Takashi’s offer.

Daichi hurried away from the teenagers and ran down the road. It was a struggle to figure out where he needed to go, but he pushed on. He had never been to this half of the town. It seemed so different from the other half, but it really wasn’t. These houses probably didn’t survive long enough for people to move in to them. Who would want to move here anyway? Certainly not Daichi.

When he arrived at the marsh, he cursed himself.

Hightide had already set in, covering the little bit of land Daichi could walk on.

He had no way of getting to the marsh house now. Daichi was sure that there was another way, but he didn’t know what it was. He didn’t bother to ask Manjoume where it was—it didn’t seem important. If he didn’t have to entertain Takashi and his friends, he would have been here sooner.

It was a little disheartening to learn that he wouldn’t be able to see Manjoume today. They had only met once, but Daichi felt like they were connected somehow. In this little town, it seemed that only Manjoume could understand him.

“Ahoy there!”

Daichi’s spirits lifted as he looked out on the water. Manjoume was waving his hands, sitting in a boat. He pointed to the dock and Daichi eagerly followed the path to it.

“I was starting to think that we wouldn’t see each other today,” Daichi admitted as Manjoume came closer.

“I figured you were busy. I came around often to see if you had come by yet,” Manjoume said. “If you weren’t here by sundown, I would have tried again.”

Daichi couldn’t imagine working that hard to see someone. Even he didn’t think he tried hard enough to break free from Takashi to see Manjoume. Still, it was a nice feeling, knowing that his presence was wanted.

“What do you have planned for us today?”

Manjoume reached out with his leg and nudged the spot beneath Daichi. He looked down, seeing the picnic basket there. “I prepared a nice meal for us with sandwiches and juice. There’s even a dessert there for us to share.”

Daichi grabbed the basket and peeked inside. It smelled good, a wonderful mixture of bread, spices, and meat. There was a small hint of sweetness and his mother watered. “How’d you manage to snag all this stuff?”

“Ha ha, it wasn’t easy. I had to sneak it out while the maids were gossiping among each other. Getting past my brothers was a little bit more difficult, but I managed.”

“… They didn’t notice you, did they?” Daichi questioned.

“Not once! They won’t be wondering where I’m at for a while anyway.” Manjoume gave him a sad smile. “When they’re busy with their own work, they never notice me or when I’m gone.”

Daichi always thought his life was sad and lonely, but Manjoume’s was on a different level. Choosing between being aware that you were adopted or having riches but being ignored by your family was easy. He would rather know about his adoption than having anything he wanted. Maybe he had issues with his “mother”, but at least she cared enough about him and always paid attention to him.

Even when he didn’t want her to.

Manjoume continued to paddle them until they reached the stone dock of the marsh house. He hooked the rope onto the post and tied it tightly. He stepped out before Daichi could, holding his hand out to him. Daichi hooked an arm around the basket and allowed Manjoume to pull him out of the boat. It swayed beneath him and he was worried that it would topple over.

But Manjoume never let him go.

“Are you okay?” Manjoume asked.

Daichi nodded his head, finding himself unable to speak.

“Good. Come with me.”

Manjoume took Daichi’s hand. It was warmer than usual. Yesterday, his hand was ice cold in Daichi’s, but it was different today. Or maybe Daichi was running hot.

Manjoume led him through the garden of the marsh house. He pulled him along through the same path they had taken yesterday. Just like before, Manjoume was quiet, leaving Daichi to follow him like a dog on a leash. He didn’t mind, though. When he was around Manjoume, Daichi felt at peace. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this way.

At the same lookout point, Manjoume released Daichi’s hands and spread his arms. It was like he was welcoming the setting sun, bringing its last dying rays into his body.

Daichi set the basket down and pulled the blanket out. He struggled for a moment to spread it until Manjoume turned to help. They placed it down and anchored it with their shoes, one at each corner. Before Daichi could have a chance to set up their meal, Manjoume was already doing it. He pulled out plates and napkins, cups and cutlery. The sandwiches came next, placed on a plastic platter that was hidden from Daichi’s eye from within the basket.

“Do you want to continue our question game from yesterday?” Manjoume asked. He picked up a sandwich that was clearly labeled “PB&J.” “I’ve thought of some good ones for you.”

“Sure, but I doubt you would be able to stump me.” Daichi chewed on his lip. “Do you mind if I go first?”

Manjoume laughed. “If I was cruel, I would consider that a question! But sure. Do your worst.”

Daichi truly planned to, but he wouldn’t intentionally hurt Manjoume’s feelings. “Why don’t you ever go into town on your own?”

Manjoume had his sandwich halfway to his mouth when Daichi asked. He seemed frozen where he sat, staring into Daichi’s eyes. Slowly, extremely so, he lowered his sandwich down onto his plate, staring down into his lap. “I… I’m afraid, if I’m going to be honest.”

When Manjoume didn’t elaborate more, Daichi took the plunge and spoke. “Why, though?”

He pressed his fingers into the soggy white bread. Purple jam leaked through, staining the tips of his fingers. “I know there are some unpleasant things being said about my family down in the town. They think that none of us can hear them, but we do. Somehow, the gossip just seems to float to us like leaves on the wind. It doesn’t bother any of us too much, but still…”

“Still?”

Manjoume looked over to the town, taking in the sight that he saw. “Sometimes, I wish I could go down there and meet someone—anyone, really. I guess there’s that part of me that plays the good child for my mother that wants to do it. It’s like her voice is screaming in my head, telling me that I should show them that they’re wrong.”

Daichi wondered what these rumors were. He hadn’t caught wind of them, and Daisuke never indulged in the information, either. He thought a few simple words would tie him over, but they didn’t.

All his words succeeded in doing was adding gasoline to the fires of Daichi’s curiosity.

“You know, Manjoume…” Daichi licked his lips. Already he could sense this was a bad idea, but he had to leave the offer available to him. After all, what kind of friend would he be if he didn’t. “If you’d like, I’d be more than happy to go down there with you.”

Manjoume had such a hopeful look on his face. It was quickly replaced with worry and then fear. No doubt he was thinking about all the things that could go wrong if he rowed to explore the town. But the one thing that still shone in his eyes was excitement and hope. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to do it soon, but the idea was planted in his mind like seeds.

“Yeah… I’ll think about it…”

And when he would be ready to go, Daichi would be there with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this one for a while. It was an idea I had that I couldn't get off the ground, but I'm glad I was finally able to. This is definitely a "When Marnie Was There" AU, but it doesn't come with the twist that they're related, so don't worry about that.
> 
> And please don't worry about "Of Bitter Rivals"! I am working hard on it. I have almost half of the chapters edited and I can't wait to start working on it again. ♥

**Author's Note:**

> I promise you all that I'm not dead from hornetshipping. I still love it very much, but Voltron and Sheith came around and slammed into me. But enough about that, I had this idea for a while, actually! My only issue was getting it off the ground. Everything I made for it didn't seem right to me. Until I told myself "buckle down and write it", and before I knew it the first chapter was around 10k words...
> 
> I don't know when I'll get the chance to update it, but know that it's not done yet! I hope to finish it as soon as I can. ♥


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